Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has announced amendments to a few of the national lockdown restrictions.

Vehicle repair shops will now be allowed to operate, but only to service cars used by essential workers:

“And also vehicle that are used by people who are rendering essential services should they need emergency repairs that should be opened for them. So those professionals who do that will have to be now working."

Plumbers and electricians will also be allowed to begin work again, with warehouses critical to the efforts to combat the coronavirus allowed to open:

“But also for homes, private homes, if you have a burst pipe or something goes wrong with your electricity you should be able to call a professional plumber or electrician to come and sort that out.”

Dlamini-Zuma explained that this was in preparation for the easing of the lockdown which is now expected to end later this month.

Briefly.co.za gathered that weekly announcements were promised with hints that clothing shops may be allowed to open soon as well:

“I don’t necessarily want to name them but there are things that already are affecting people, winter is coming and so things that go with that obviously will have to be attended to. Schools might be opening,things that go with that [will have to be attended to]."

The minister denied that the government was backtracking, insisting it was a systematic procedure:

“But also, industries will have to slowly come on steam. So don’t think that no every time now that they are changing. No, it’s an orderly way of easing the lockdown. We don’t know [but] for now the lockdown will end on the 30th of April but even if it ends you can’t just open the floodgates in one day."

Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!